Career and Education Opportunities for Policemen in Charlotte, North Carolina

For those living in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, there are many career and education opportunities for policemen. Currently, 18,120 people work as policemen in North Carolina. This is expected to grow 17% to about 21,210 people by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for policemen are expected to grow by about 8.7%. Policemen generally patrol assigned areas to enforce laws and ordinances, regulate traffic, and arrest violators.

A person working as a policeman can expect to earn about $18 hourly or $38,530 yearly on average in North Carolina and about $24 per hour or $51,410 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Earnings for policemen are not quite as good as earnings in the general category of Police and Security in North Carolina and better than general Police and Security category earnings nationally. Jobs in this field include: patrol sergeant, highway patrol officer, and crime scene officer.

There are five schools within twenty-five miles of Charlotte where you can study to be a policeman, among forty-three schools of higher education total in the Charlotte area. Policemen usually hold a high school diploma or GED, so you can expect to spend only a short time studying to be a policeman if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Policeman

Policeman video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

Policemen record facts to ready reports that document incidents and efforts. They also identify and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts. Equally important, policemen have to track and investigate suspicious persons and situations and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area. They are often called upon to provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people, and promoting good community relations. They are expected to testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases. Finally, policemen relay complaint and emergency-request data to appropriate agency dispatchers.

Every day, policemen are expected to be able to respond quickly in general. They need to evaluate problems as they arise. It is also important that they articulate ideas and problems.

It is important for policemen to evaluate complaint and emergency-request data to establish response requirements. They are often called upon to process prisoners, and ready and maintain records of prisoner bookings and prisoner status during booking and pre-trial process. They also act as official escorts. Somewhat less frequently, policemen are also expected to examine public establishments to insure adherence to rules and regulations.

Policemen sometimes are asked to track traffic to insure motorists observe traffic rules and exhibit safe driving procedures. And finally, they sometimes have to inspect facts of incidents to establish if criminal acts or statute violations were involved.

Like many other jobs, policemen must have exceptional integrity and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Charlotte include:

Chief of Police. Supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

Correctional Officer. Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institution in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.

Criminal Investigator. Investigate alleged or suspected criminal violations of Federal, state, or local laws to determine if evidence is sufficient to recommend prosecution.

Customs Inspector. Investigate and inspect persons, common carriers, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.

Fire Code Inspector. Inspect buildings and equipment to detect fire hazards and enforce state and local regulations.

Police Records Officer. Collect evidence at crime scenes, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

Private Investigator. Detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment, or seek, examine, and compile information for client.

Sheriff. Enforce law and order in rural or unincorporated districts or serve legal processes of courts. May patrol courthouse, guard court or grand jury, or escort defendants.

Transportation Security Officer. Inspect baggage or cargo and screen passengers to detect and prevent potentially dangerous objects from being transported into secure areas or onto aircraft.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Policeman Training

Catawba Valley Community College - Hickory, NC

Catawba Valley Community College, 2550 Hwy 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602-0699. Catawba Valley Community College is a small college located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 5,011 students. Catawba Valley Community College has a less than one year program in Criminal Justice/Police Science which graduated twenty students in 2008.

Gaston College - Dallas, NC

Gaston College, 201 Hwy 321 S, Dallas, NC 28034. Gaston College is a medium sized college located in Dallas, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 5,557 students. Gaston College has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Criminal Justice/Police Science which graduated forty and zero students respectively in 2008.

Mitchell Community College - Statesville, NC

Mitchell Community College, 500 W Broad Street, Statesville, NC 28677-5293. Mitchell Community College is a small college located in Statesville, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 2,911 students. Mitchell Community College has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Criminal Justice/Police Science which graduated twenty-seven and six students respectively in 2008.

Central Piedmont Community College - Charlotte, NC

Central Piedmont Community College, 1201 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204. Central Piedmont Community College is a large college located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 16,536 students. Central Piedmont Community College has a less than one year program in Criminal Justice/Police Science.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College - Salisbury, NC

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, 1333 Jake Alexander Blvd, Salisbury, NC 28146-1595. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a medium sized college located in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 5,876 students. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has a less than one year program in Criminal Justice/Police Science which graduated forty-eight students in 2008.

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Oxygen Administration:
Prepares laypersons and professional rescuers with the knowledge and skills needed to know when and how to use supplemental oxygen and breathing devices.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina photo by Alaskan Assassin

Charlotte is located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It has a population of over 687,456, which has grown by 27.1% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Charlotte, 86, is well below the national average.

The three big industries for women in Charlotte are health care, finance and insurance, and educational services. For men, it is construction, finance and insurance, and professional, scientific, and technical services. The average commute to work is about 25 minutes. More than 36.4% of Charlotte residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 10.5%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Charlotte is 9.7%, which is less than North Carolina's average of 10.6%.

The percentage of Charlotte residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 48.0%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. New Hampton Church, New Emmanuel Church and New East Stonewall Church are all churches located in Charlotte. The largest religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church.

Charlotte is home to the Crown Point Plaza and the Providence Square as well as Kilborne District Park and Little Rock Road District Park. Shopping malls in the area include Heckinger Shopping Center, Hampshire Hills Shopping Center and Providence Village Shopping Center. Visitors to Charlotte can choose from American Motel, Extended Stay America - Charlotte/Tyvola and Drury Inn and Suites Charlotte for temporary stays in the area.